Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged the Centre to convene a meeting with stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of cloud seeding for artificially inducing rain to combat the city’s winter air pollution.
In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Rai emphasised the critical air quality situation that Delhi faced each November, stating that it was imperative to assess cloud seeding as a potential emergency measure.
“Given the dire conditions, we must explore all available options to provide immediate relief to the residents of Delhi,” Rai said.
Cloud seeding, a method of artificially inducing rain, has been under consideration by the Delhi government as part of its broader strategy to tackle the hazardous air quality situation.
In 2023, the city government considered cloud seeding as an emergency measure during hazardous air quality days and asked IIT-Kanpur to come up with a comprehensive presentation.
However, implementation of the cloud seeding technology requires clearance from various central government agencies.
In his letter, Rai called for an urgent meeting involving representatives from the Union Environment Ministry, the Delhi government, the Central Pollution Control Board, the India Meteorological Department and other agencies to discuss the logistical and regulatory challenges.
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